PHIL 309: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy

LARKIN: Spring 2003

________________________________________

 

DATE:    1-30-03

 

I.                     Objectives

A.     Understand the basic insights and advances of Frege’s Concept-Script

B.      Explicate key arguments of Frege’s “On Sense and Reference”

 

II.                   Discussion:

Russell’s Paradox

 

III.                 Lecture:  Frege’s Concept-Script and Philosophy of Language

A.     The Concept Script

1.  Key insight

2.  Advantages over Aristotelian Logic

3.  Some Example Translations

 

B.      Frege as Founder of Analytic Philosophy

1.  Invented the Main Tool

2.  Realism and Empiricism

3.  Linguistic Turn

 

C.      The Sense/Reference Distinction

1.  Frege’s Puzzle

2.  Frege’s Solution

 

D.      The Referent of a Sentence?

1.  Frege’s Answer and Argument

2.  Troublesome subordinate clauses.

 

IV.                 Discussion:

What is the meaning of a proper name?

 

V.                   Next Time

A.     Topic: Russell’s Theory of Descriptions

B.      Reading:   Russell, “On Denoting”

C.      Reading Questions:  See Next Lecture Skeleton